The use of autofocus mechanisms in contemporary digital cameras is well known. Such autofocus mechanisms attempt to determine the best focus so that resultant photographs are acceptable to the camera's user. That is, an autofocus mechanism attempts to provide the sharpest focus for that portion of the image that is likely to be considered the most important part of the image by the user.
Sometimes users may want to have several images taken at various focuses simultaneously. Further, determination of the best focus is an inherently subjective process. Assumptions are made in the development and implementation of the autofocusing algorithm regarding what is to be considered the best focus. For example, assumptions are made regarding the portion of the image which is to be used for sharpness determination. Typically, the center of the image is assumed to be the most important to the user. Because of this, the center of the image is typically used for sharpness determination and thus the center of the image is typically the portion thereof for which the focus is the sharpest. Assumptions are also made regarding the degree of sharpness that is to be considered acceptable.
Further, determination of the best focus is not an instantaneous process. The camera must often move a lens or lens assembly through a number of different positions in order to determine the best focus. This is essentially a trial and error process, wherein many focusing lens positions are tested to determine which focusing lens position provides the best focus.
Because the process is subjective and because obtaining the best focus takes time, an image may be taken without the focus that a particular user most desires. For example, this can occur simply because the user disagrees with the subjective aspects of the autofocus algorithm. Perhaps the autofocus mechanism provided sharpest focus for the foreground, when the user desired sharpest focus for the background or visa-versa. In either instance, the focus provided by the camera is not the focus that the user most desires.
Undesirable focus can also occur when the user depresses the shutter release before the camera has determined the best focus. The autofocus mechanism can still be moving the lens or lens assembly in an attempt to determine the best focus when the image is captured. Perhaps the autofocus mechanism has already tried a lens position that the user would have found provided acceptable focus, but the autofocus mechanism is still testing other positions.
In any event, it would beneficial to provide the user with a plurality of different images, each having a different focus. In this manner, the user can select which image or images (and consequently, which focus or focuses) are most desirable.